Oppose herbicide in Alaska

Letter to the editor

Posted: Friday, July 02, 2004

Monday morning the Juneau Empire carried a My Turn opinion co-authored by a staff forester and the president of Klukwan Inc. Together they are attempting to dispel our concerns over proposed aerial spraying of a herbicide called RoundUp, which is the herbicide Monsanto Corp. makes billions on in the Lower 48 for suburbanites to manicure their lawns and golf courses with. It has been called "as safe as table salt," but we all know what table salt can do for your blood pressure. RoundUp is certainly much more toxic - as it is engineered specifically to kill.

The following is a report on what the state of New York has to say about it: New York State's Attorney General has sued Monsanto for claiming that RoundUp is "safe" and "environmentally friendly." This suit ended in a settlement with Monsanto in which Monsanto agreed to cease and desist from using these terms in advertising RoundUp in the state of New York. Monsanto, while not admitting any wrongdoing, paid the state of New York $250,000 in settlement of this suit. When Monsanto violated the first settlement agreement by advertising within New York that RoundUp is "safe," a second agreement was negotiated.

The entire issue of aerial spraying in the forest is all about making a fast investment, and it has now found rather fertile corporate ground in Southeast Alaska. Once aerial spraying is officially sanctioned it will spread like wildfire.

Please write an e-mail or call Rosemarie_Lombardi@dec.state.ak.us and tell her you don't want herbicide spraying in our nonpolluted Alaska.